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The Occupation Report Receiving This Newsletter Purpose of this Newsletter [Maps not included in this web re-publication of the newsletter] September 22, 2006 Reports Sources WAFA Palestine News Agency
Palestinian Information
Center Palestine News Network Jerusalem Post Ha'aretz IDF web site news briefs Yedioth Ahronoth International Middle East
Media Center Incursions, invasions, and arrests, etc. West Bank: Israeli troops arrested 12 wanted Palestinians overnight Thursday. They were alleged to be members of the Tanzim, Fatah, and Islamic Jihad. (8) An Israeli reserve unit operating in south Mount Hebron in the West Bank found an explosives lab. They detonated the place and there were no injuries or damage reported. (13) Land appropriation In addition to the tenders given for construction of 164 housing units for Israelis in the West Bank, "The Israeli Government is also considering a plan to retroactively approve the illegal construction of West Bank outposts." (2) Due to the late hour, I forgot to put the map into yesterday's report about the appropriation of land in Azzoun 'Atma. Here is a repeat of that report, with the map included: Azzoun 'Atma is a Palestinian village lying between the two Israeli settlements of Ornit and Sha'ariei Tikva. This story depicts an ongoing operation that we have reported on in the past. The section of wall planned will completely rob Azzoun 'Atma residents of their freedom of movement. Israeli soldiers have already distributed notices to villagers warning of confiscation of their land for the Wall. I think the picture below says it all. It is a chilling future for Azzoun 'Atma. Remember, red means the wall is built. Purple means the wall is being planned. The green line is the Green Line. Blue represents Jewish settlements. Tan represents Palestinian land. This village is in the West Bank about 9 kilometers south by southeast of Qalqilya. Palestinian government Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that he would not head a unity government that recognized the Jewish state. He said Hamas was ready to establish a state including all territory occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War, and would agree to a long-term cease-fire with Israel, but would not recognize Israel. His aides said that Hamas would not join a Palestinian unity government if recognition of Israel was a condition. He was willing to agree to a long-term truce for five to ten years until the occupation withdrew. Renouncing violence was a clause of that agreement. In New York, an adviser to President Abbas said he would not ask to explicitly recognize Israel, but to abide by PLO agreements that recognized the Jewish state. (10) "The Palestinian government, headed since January by the Hamas party, has long stated its commitment to a comprehensive peace with Israel, and has largely adhered to a 17-month cease-fire agreed to in February 2005 with Israel -- despite the fact that large-scale invasions, air strikes, kidnappings, extra-judicial assassinations and occupation by Israeli forces have continued during the entire 18-month period in direct violation of the cease-fire agreement....The Palestinian leadership has seen the U.S. pressure tactics, using Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as their mouthpiece, as a form of manipulation and blackmail, and a denial of the Palestinian people's universally-recognized right to sovereignty and self-determination. 'The US administration does not want the Palestinians to be unified', said Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh last week. 'It wants to blackmail the Palestinian people and the Palestinian government.'" (15) "Well-informed sources" have talked about scenarios for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. "The sources pointed the finger of accusation at Muhammad Dahlan in particular, whom the sources described as an influential man as a former head of the preventive security who has his own militia and has got a personal interest in frustrating any possible harmony between the PA president Mahmoud Abbas and the PA government of Hamas." (18) Palestinian lawlessness Palestinian policemen were guarding European Union monitors at the Egypt-Gaza border crossing at the Rafah. "Unidentified gunmen" exploded a small bomb near them. Two policemen were wounded, but none of the European Union monitors were hurt. The police opened fire, and there was a gun battle. There was no further information given as to whether the perpetrators were caught. (5) Palestinian prisoners Thursday, the Salem Israeli military court ruled to extend the detention of the Palestinian lawmakers in prison until October 5, at the request of prosecution lawyers. The lawyers defending the lawmakers said it was obvious that the decision was purely political. (3) Palestinian political prisoner Abdel Raouf Abu Atcha, 39, has three clots in his brain and heart, leaving him half paralyzed. "He cannot move other than by wheelchair. Fellow political prisoners wrote that the man is also suffering from a stomach ulcer, lack of full use of his limbs, and severe back pain." Abu Atcha has six children, the oldest 13. The Israeli Prison Administration will not allow him to receive any medical treatment. He cannot access medication in the prison. The Israelis won't allow him to be transferred to the prison hospital. His fellow political prisoners in Israeli Beer Aseeba Prison have sent out a distress call internationally asking for his immediate release, and if there is ever a prisoner exchange, for his name to be at the top. "The Palestinian Prisoner Society says that there are at least 1000 critical medical cases inside Israeli prisons, including cancer, brain disease, and paralysis or amputation due to live bullet shots." (4) Palestinian resistance Seven Israeli soldiers were wounded, one moderately, by "explosive devices" that were thrown at the troops near Nablus. They were taken to the hospital. (7) According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Palestinians threw the bomb at an Israeli force operating in the Balata Refugee Camp. "The soldiers returned fire and identified a hit." (12) The International Solidarity Movement said that about 75 villagers, internationals and Israelis took part in the weekly nonviolent anti-Wall demonstration in Bil'in. They were stopped by Israeli soldiers at the edge of the village. As the demonstrators tried to march through the olive groves, the soldiers started firing tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets, forcing them to go back to the village. Then soldiers invaded the village. They arrested Mohammed Katib, one protester, and released him an hour later. During this operation soldiers fired many teargas canisters and shot rubber-coated metal bullets at the villagers. (1) Protesters began throwing rocks at security forces, and one Border Police officer was lightly injured. (14) In 2002, Israeli forces created a roadblock to prevent villagers from Sourif and neighboring Al-Jab'a from commuting back and forth by car. "The roadblock consists of dirt, large stones, at least five massive boulders, and more than nine 2-5 ton concrete slabs and blocks." On September 21, Palestinian and international activists partially removed the roadblock. Currently, Palestinians are forced to approach it by car, unload their goods and crops over the roadblock, and repack them into a car located on the other side. The barrier happens to be built at the intersection of the Palestinian road and a settler-only road that goes from the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh and in the opposite direction toward several cities. Partly for this reason, Palestinians are prevented from crossing it by car. Demonstrators began to remove the roadblock with shovels and their hands, shovels for carrying dirt and hands to move the rocks. They managed to remove one concrete slab prior to arrival of Israeli soldiers and border police. (17) Honoring the International Day of Peace, Muslims and Christians took to the streets of Bethlehem under the night's evening stars, moving together toward the Israeli-built Wall. Before the march, they had a special prayer at the Benedict Monastery, following which they walked toward the Wall. They flew Palestinian flags and banners with slogans denouncing the occupation. Crowds "shouted in unison to stop the Israeli policy of imposing the Wall." (19) PCHR Weekly Report Today, the Palestinian News Network has done my work for me, printing out the entire Palestinian Centre for Human Rights weekly report for September 14-20. Following is a recap of the weekly summary section of the report. You can find the entire PCHR report at the link given. (20) Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the reporting period. One of these victims was extra-judicially executed in the West Bank. One child died from a previous wound sustained at the beginning of September when Israeli soldiers killed her father and brother. Ten Palestinians including seven children and a woman were wounded by Israeli gunfire. The Israeli Air Force has continued to launch air strikes on houses in the Gaza Strip. Four houses were destroyed in Rafah. Israeli soldiers conducted 42 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and four incursions into the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers arrested 52 Palestinians including a child and a woman in the West Bank, and two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers raided the Jordanian National Bank in Nablus, and 11 money exchange shops in for West Bank towns, taking 6 million shekels. Israeli soldiers have continued to impose a total siege on the occupied territories. Soldiers positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested seven Palestinians. Construction of the Wall in the West Bank has continued. A military order to construct a new section of Wall near Azzoun 'Atma village south of Qalqilya was issued. Israeli soldiers violently beat eight demonstrators protesting the construction of the wall in Bil'in village near Ramallah. Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the occupied territories. Israeli settlers attacked a family in Hebron. (20) Peacekeeping operations The commander of the UN peacekeeping force gave the Jerusalem Post an exclusive interview in which he said that if Hezbollah guerrillas were spotted on their way to attack Israel, the UN forces would observe and then inform the Lebanese army. If they saw something dangerous they would inform the Lebanese army and it would decide whether wanted to act independently or consider having "a joint reaction together with us." Hezbollah supporters had marched up to the border fence waving Hezbollah flags the previous afternoon. The UNIFIL chief "slammed Israel" for making one to five daily flights over Lebanon, which he said were for updating Israeli intelligence. He called these flights dangerous and unacceptable. (6) Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said today that no army in the world would be able to disarm Hezbollah. Disarmament was a key demand of the UN cease-fire resolution that ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Nasrallah said Hezbollah still had more than 20,000 rockets. He said that Hezbollah emerged from this war stronger than it had been before. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman called this spitting in the face of the international community. (11) Restrictions in movement The Israeli army imposed a general closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip throughout Rosh Hashanah. There were warnings that terrorist groups were planning attacks over the holiday. Nevertheless, teachers, lawyers, medical personnel, and religious leaders would be able to move freely to and from those areas. (9) The Israeli Defense Minister said a Thursday that he would open the Rafah border crossing for two days to allow Palestinians to cross into Egypt. At least 10,000 Palestinians are waiting on the Egyptian side of the crossing, which has been closed since July 25, except for brief openings on a few occasions. Several residents have died waiting. This from the head of The General Administration of Border Crossing: "The crossing will be opened on Friday and Saturday from eight in the morning until six in the evening", Mhanna stated, "entry will be for everyone who is there, but exit will only be for students, human(e) cases and residents living abroad". (16) Miscellany "Thousands of Fatah supporters led by hundreds of gunmen firing in the air staged an anti-Hamas march Friday, amid growing tension between the political rivals." The marchers chanted slogans against Hamas leaders. (9) ----------------------------- Samples of this newsletter may be found at http://aberdeenpublishing.com/ocreport.eml . That "eml" extension means that people with Internet Explorer and Outlook Express can see it. Others may not unless their programs recognize the "eml" extension. Links for buying my book, Awakened, may be found at http://aberdeenpublishing.com. -- Jerrold Cohen, Ph.D
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